Rally GB
In 1932, the Rally GB, or RAC Rally as it was then called was first held and was won by Colonel A. H. Loughborough. Since then it has been held annually and since 1973 as part of the World Rally Championship. It has seen many memorable title decided since the 1998 WRC when Carlos Sainz broke down at Margam within sight of the title. Famous Moments In 1932, this rally's first running, Colonel A. H. Loughborough won in a Lanchester. The following year, Kitty Brunell, driving an AC Ace, became the first female winner of this event. In 1972, the Leicesterian Roger Clark, a four time British Rally Champion from Narborough, was the first British winner of this event since Gerald Burgess in 1959, breaking the Scandinavian dominance of the previous 13 years. In 1976, he won again but this time as the WRC's first British rally winner. In 1998, Tommi Mäkinen was pulled over by the local police and forced to retire after his Mitsubishi Carisma lost one of its wheels at Millbrook. This allowed Carlos Sainz to challenge for the title. Then, in fourth with just the final special stage to go, his Corolla broke down just mere metres from the finish, costing him his third title. As their stricken car lay on the side of the road, they were visibly frustrated. Bruno Thiry's Escort drove past and he explained his bewilderment at seeing Sainz stopped. This allowed Mäkinen to become a triple World Champion instead as the sister Carisma of Reading's Richard Burns became the first Briton since Roger Clark to win the Rally GB, Then, in 2001, Richard Burns won his first title after his closest rivals for the championship, Tommi Mäkinen and Colin McRae both retired before the second day. McRae, the Scotsman, crashed out on stage 4 at Rhondda, after Mäkinen had earlier in the day lost a wheel on Stage 2 at St. Gwynno, similar to his 1998 incident. Burns was happy, knowing his title was guaranteed. When he reached the finish line on 25th November he was crowned England's first World Rally Champion. In 2003, also another year to remember, the title was won by Petter Solberg. Richard Burns blacked out in his car on the way to the event, and became diagnosed with a brain tumor. It was also the final start of Tommi Mäkinen's career. In 2005, Petter Solberg claimed his fourth consecutive win at Rally GB, but sadly the much-loved co-driver from Newent, Gloucestershire, Michael Park lost his life in a crash on stage 15 when Markko Martin collided with a tree. In 2015, Kris Meeke had the highest finish for a British driver in Rally GB since 2000 when Richard Burns won for Subaru. He and his Irish co-driver Paul Nagle came second in their DS3. Overall victory honours went to World Champion Sébastien Ogier. But the event was overshadowed by the terrorist attacks that happened in Paris whilst Ogier and his compatriots were away. Category:WRC Rallies